JOHNSON COUNTY - Cleburne builders cranked out about 140 to 160 new houses a year before the 2008 economic crash, but last year, the city logged just 19 new stick-built and modular/manufactured homes.

That was down from 21 in 2011 and 22 in 2010, according to Jerry Cash, Cleburne’s economic development director.

Encouraged by rising demand and low inventories, builders in 2012 broke ground on the most new houses and apartments in four years. Those signs of life are now shooting up on sites in and around Cleburne.

Construction has begun on the first phase of a Cleburne project that promises to put 20 townhouse units on approximately three acres near Chili’s at the intersection of Wedgwood Dr. and Hyde Park Blvd. These units will rent for approximately $1,050 to $1,200 a month, according to builder Mark Rhodes.

In 2011, Johnson County cities issued no multifamily building permits. The number rose to 376 for 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In Keene, a builder is starting two new brick, single-family houses designed specifically for rent. The three-bedroom houses will rent for $900 to $1,100, according to builder Don Zacharias.